Forget-Me-Not
by honrupi
Summary: After a terrible occurrence, a girl becomes the victim of her own memories. In her journey to escape them, she makes a desperate wish; however, her misfortune seems to dog her every move, and she finds herself amidst a new and troubled world where her checkered past is only one of her problems.
1. Chapter 1

_It's terrible._

I look up at the cliff looming before me- a monstrosity of rock, impossibly tall and just as foreboding- and feel the pit of uncertainty forming in my stomach. The sky behind it is full of steely gray clouds, churning against the wind. Not much better to look at. I turn my head and am able to see the land behind me; the grass is charred and there are scattered rocks adding to the monochrome backdrop.

Frankly, I find my being here at all incredible. I can't remember how long I've been traveling just to look for this place. Then again, I'm not here for a "where," but for a "who." If I wanted to look for a big cliff, I certainly would have chosen a better route to take to find one. I shudder as memories of toiling over the rugged landscape flood into my mind.

A sudden roar jostles me back to reality. Darting my eyes around, I pinpoint a moving silhouette against the gloomy sky. Squinting does nothing to better discern what it is, so instead I put my back against the cliff and eye it warily from afar. The figure appears to move closer, fortunately, so I lean forward and attempt again to-

In the next split second, a blue flame seems to spring to life right before me. A shock of cold fear seizes my body, and I go numb. The inferno flares up, almost as if it's annoyed at my lack of response, and I find myself inhaling sharply. A rush of adrenaline urges me to scramble away. My heart is pounding so hard that it's all I can feel; almost as if in a frenzy, I force my legs into a sprint. The next moment is a jumble- the flurry of the gray landscape, the wild heartbeat overtaking all of my senses, the sensation of gliding as if my feet had become nonexistent- and before I know it, I tumble headfirst into the grass.

Hitting the ground isn't what scares me, though. It's the loud thump I hear right next to my ears that makes me sit bolt upright in an instant. I look up, trembling, and see the face of my assaulter.

It's a Charizard. But this one is wrong- its scales are a jet-black sheen, the flame on its tail is a bright blue, and there's a strange spherical rock stuck into its shoulder. I find myself oddly drawn to it; upon a closer inspection, the rock seems almost as if it's pulsating with an unknown power. It appears to shimmer, but a wave of black perverts the deep cobalt glow. More importantly, that blue matches the blue of the fire that had been hurled at me.

I'm in no position to be indignant, however, as I quickly notice that the Charizard's features are distorted with rage.

"I know why you're here, human," he says in a low, threatening growl.

I tense; if he knows why I'm here, that won't help matters at all. I make an attempt to get to my feet, but this prompts a snarl from the Charizard. I hurriedly sit back down.

"I won't let you get up that cliff and see Jirachi," he says, as if his word is automatically law. Despite my fear, I know all too well the troubles I've gone through just to reach this far; I swallow and attempt to explain myself.

"You don't understand," I begin. This is a mistake- the Charizard seems to take this as a personal insult, as his eyes narrow and smoke begins to pour out of his nostrils. I instinctively raise up my hands to protect myself, but the Charizard doesn't move. As I lower my hands, I can see the gears in his mind turning- probably contemplating what punishment to give me once I've finished my plea. I try again. "I'll be the first to admit that I'm not exactly worthy to see Jirachi. However-"

I'm interrupted. "That's a pathetic excuse," the Charizard says bitterly. I do have to agree with that.

"However," I continue, "I'm not here for wealth or power or anything. I just… I just want to be able to forget something."

"Forget?" the Charizard echoes incredulously. A cynical smile forms on his lips. "You came all this way just to forget? You really are something."

He finds me funny. Although this is better than him hating me, I avert my eyes. The memory I want to forget is far from humorous; I can feel my breath shortening just thinking about it. It's so terrible- I really have to forget. I hold my head in my hands, refusing to let myself remember. My mind touches upon the setting- a warm sunset, a day just like any other- then it begins to dig deeper- the red of the sunset bleeding straight into the ground, the body, there was something spoken, but I don't want to know what it was, not with the thing staring straight at me-

I am thankful for the Charizard's harsh words that sever the link forming between my mind and my awful memory. "I don't believe you for a second. And stop acting like you're in pain. Memories aren't something that can be painful."

How wrong he is. But I don't have the guts nor the urge to correct him, so I only stare up at him with what I hope is a mournful expression. His own expression appears to soften. We stay like this for a short while, with our eyes locked, waiting for the other to say or do something. A low rumble of thunder resounds in the distance. Still, nothing is uttered.

Finally, the Charizard speaks. "Fine. I guess since you've come this far, you must really want to forget whatever it is pretty badly." He eyes me up and down. "And with how pathetic you look, that's quite a feat."

I draw my breath, waiting for him to say more.

"I'll fly you up to Jirachi. But if you try anything that's remotely suspicious, I'll burn you for real." To punctuate this point, he exhales a puff of blue flame. I nod gravely in understanding; this satisfies him, and he turns around and motions for me to climb onto his back. I timidly do so, stepping around the fire upon his tail, and wrap my arms around his thick neck. He grunts in discomfort, but says nothing.

The minute he first beats his wings in a powerful stroke, a gust of wind presses me down against his back. There's that pit in my stomach again- except this time it's not from uncertainty, but from the sheer panic one experiences when they feel they are falling. I manage to will myself into opening my eyes, but the sight of the ground appearing to shrink further and further away only adds to my panic. I shut my eyes again and try to ignore the sickening sensation of being shoved from side to side. It's my only defense against the increasing urge to vomit.

After enduring an hour's worth of terror crammed into five minutes, the Charizard finally lands on a small rocky ledge situated near the top of the cliff. I hesitantly release my hold on him, as if afraid that the ledge would crumble instantly if I touched it. In a clumsy maneuver, I stagger onto the ground; I'm trembling and covered in a cold sweat. I catch a quick glance of the Charizard's unimpressed stare before he turns and gestures to something behind me. Following the movement of his claws, I feel my heartbeat accelerate as I see the object he is gesturing towards.

It's a cave. But calling it such would not be enough to describe the sheer darkness it contains within. There is nothing but a wall of black, so impenetrable that it's impossible to estimate how deep the cave is.

"Jirachi awaits you inside there," the Charizard says. "I'll lead you to him."

"Thank you very much," I breathe, still rattled from the ride. "I'm not sure if I could have-"

"Just don't lag behind," the Charizard interrupts, already lumbering into the open maw of darkness. I hastily get to my feet and stumble after him.

I had assumed that a light source would have put me at ease; however, there's an uncanny eeriness in the blue flame that illuminates the rock walls surrounding us. Every contour, every edge, shifts under the passing shadow created by the Charizard's flame. The walls appear to be moving- twisting its edges until becoming drowned in darkness once more. I try to keep my focus on the back of the Charizard's head, but my eyes keep wandering over the changing walls.

A dim, white light slowly begins to pour into the tunnel. Eager to escape the suffocating blackness, I pick up my pace. The Charizard gives a huff of disapproval at my hurrying ahead, but does nothing to restrain me. I press onward without him, following the intensifying light, knowing that my goal is almost within reach. The light leads me to a large open space, where the top of the cave is barely observable. Instead of mere rocks lining its walls, there is an occasional crystal, glowing softly in its perch. Although these contribute to the general brightness of the room, the main source of light rests in its center.

Jirachi.

All the years spent agonizing over that terrible occurrence, every mile I toiled, the enemies I had to fend off, the utter and bitter regret that always proved both a physical and emotional burden- all of it leading up to this one chance to see Jirachi and have him make the pain disappear. He isn't quite the magnificent beast I always pictured in my mind; rather, he is a small and dainty Pokemon- his star-like qualities are accentuated through his pointed body and the placid light he emits. Fitting, I suppose.

His innocent eyes are peering straight at me as I enter, and already I'm struggling to breathe normally. I know his childlike appearance deviates from his true powerful abilities. Still, it's difficult to imagine such a tiny creature granting wishes that can transcend logic.

After a moment of remaining transfixed upon him, I realize that Jirachi has no intention of speaking first. He looks at me expectantly as he hangs suspended in the air, his golden cape-like tendrils brushing gingerly against the ground. I swallow, unsure how to begin.

"Um..." I stammer. I clear my throat and try again. "I… I came here to have my wish granted."

Jirachi blinks slowly. "I know." His youthful voice seems to carry a mysterious wisdom. I can feel the panic setting in now. My skin is crawling with anxiety- I can't mess this up, not at the most important moment of my journey.

"I see…" I respond haltingly, racking my brain for the correct words. "But, well, I don't want power or fame or anything. Can you still grant a wish like that?"

A new emotion appears to briefly cross over his features. Surprise?

"Yes, a wish like that would be very simple for me," Jirachi says in careful monotone. He pauses. "Come closer, then, and tell me what your wish is."

Despite his permission to approach him, I walk towards him with obvious hesitation. Doubt begins to take seed in my mind, as I now realize that the wish I've been always been hoping to have granted might actually transform into reality. Jirachi's unnerving gaze does nothing to soothe my growing fears as well, but I attempt to maintain eye contact anyway. I stop once I'm a few feet away from him; his glowing body proves a bigger strain to look at from this short distance. A small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth still remains visible, however. He must find me amusing- this poor, hapless human who came all this way just for a simple wish.

"So," Jirachi says, still flatly, "what is your wish?"

"I…"

Then I break off, finding myself uncertain. I can't believe this is real- all of this was only a pipe dream just a few years ago, and now this dream is unfolding itself before my very eyes. My mind fills with a whirl of reluctant thoughts. Was this really what I wanted for myself? All the trials I had to overcome just to get here- were they worth the one chance to forget?

Immediately the hated memory surges into view in my mind's eye. I clasp my hands to my ears, as if doing so could drown out the sounds of the screams I hear. I see the thing's eyes, so unmoving and yet so fixated upon me. The sun has disappeared, but the color remains. There's so much red- soaking into the sky, into the grass, into-

"Your wish," Jirachi reiterates. His voice is enough to distract me from the memory, and I'm able to take a deep breath and focus on what is real. Jirachi is here, I'm here, and there's still an awful memory to be cleansed of.

"Sorry about that," I say hastily. "There's just this terrible memory I want to be free from… and actually, my wish is related to it."

"So, what is it?" Jirachi repeats. I can hear the impatience creeping into his voice this time.

"I wish to have a new life." A sense of relief washes over me as the words leave my lips, as if they had been waiting to be uttered ever since my journey began.

"A new life," Jirachi echoes. "I suppose it can be done. May I ask why you would wish for such a thing?"

I rub my palms anxiously, unwilling to answer. However, I have no desire to upset Jirachi in any way, so I oblige. "I… I did something horrible. Because of that, this life I've had has only been full of making others miserable. I think, maybe, if I could have another chance to live, I could become a better person."

Jirachi's unwavering gaze seems to intensify. "Do you really believe that?" he asks. His voice remains even, but the implication of his words cuts deep.

I'm not sure if I believe in the successes of second chances, myself. After all, if I retain my core personality in my new life, the new me might be destined to fail once again. I look down at the floor in shame; I hadn't previously pondered such a possibility. But I'm here now, and squandering such an opportunity would only be an unnecessary waste. If the solution to ridding myself of this heavy guilt is looking right at me, it would be worth it to at least try and prove it. I look back up at Jirachi.

There must be a shift in my expression, for he seems momentarily moved by what he sees. "I can't say for sure if I believe in it, but… I want to try anyways." My determined voice sounds almost alien to me.

Jirachi nods. "Very well. I'll grant your wish for a second chance." He pauses, staring at me as if he's seeing me for the first time. "But second chances are rare to come by. So wherever you might end up, whoever you might meet- you'll have to solve those issues for yourself."

I blink. Somehow, this doesn't seem standard for wish-granting; I couldn't recall hearing about stories where wishes were given with requirements. Despite my slight suspicion, however, I agree to those terms. They seem fair, after all. Even so, I still find it difficult to shake off the doubt that's beginning to overtake my quickly wavering confidence.

My agreement appears to satisfy Jirachi. The anticipation of almost acquiring my wish is making my heart pound; the air appears to become charged with an odd energy as Jirachi slowly closes his eyes and drifts heavenward. I watch, in awe, as he floats upwards. There's a dull ringing in my ears, as if a great pressure is increasing in the room. Jirachi's glow begins to intensify, overcoming the glow emanating from the surrounding crystals. I attempt to shield my eyes. To my shock, my arms feel like dead weights at my sides- they sluggishly obey, but before I can even make sense of what's happening, my legs buckle beneath me and I crumple to the ground.

My body has gone numb. Everything is engulfed in white light at this point; I can barely move my eyes to see Jirachi's pale silhouette against the brightness. I try to move my mouth to call out to him, but I can no longer move. The fear mounting within me slowly ebbs, as if even my ability to feel emotion has grown heavier. Darkness clouds my vision. I'm unaware if I'm breathing- or even being.

Soon, my consciousness drifts into the void, unable to think or feel anything other than the infinity of nothingness before me.


	2. Chapter 2

_It's surreal._

I wake up.

It's as simple as that- or at least, it almost is. The action itself requires no effort, as I only need to open my eyes. However, an odd sensation complicates things. It's difficult to explain; I'm able to observe the area around me, and I'm able to recognize that I am indeed corporeal, but I feel almost hollow. A strange heat is also centered near my face, as if someone were holding a candle between my eyes.

When I attempt to move my legs, they seem to refuse to move. That is, until I realize that they're missing.

I almost scream in fright, believing my legs to have been severed, but if that were the case, then why do I feel no pain? I try to move my arms next. Thankfully, I can sense them obey, feeling the air pass over them as I swing them about. I bring one up to my face to test if my vision is faulty, and-

A long, black appendage waves in front of my eyes. My hands have been completely transformed; judging by the obvious sheen, it seems I've become metallic. I try to stifle a shriek of despair by covering my mouth, but a glass barrier blocks my limb. I give the surface a tentative prod. My arm connects with it and produces a dull _thunk_ sound. I take both of my arms and search my body for any sort of human quality- but there is no sign of any skin or hair on me.

Despite the lack of an evident heartbeat, the feeling of panic is unmistakable. I have to get away from this nightmare; I forget about my missing legs and only succeed in falling over onto my face. I struggle and pull myself along the grass with my arms, but fear sends me into an inconsolable frenzy. _This can't be happening to me!_ I continue to drag myself without any particular destination in mind. I just have to escape this body somehow.

Although fear has seized control over my actions, I'm still dimly aware of my surroundings; I'm in a forest of some kind, and the sun is just visible through the leafy cover of the trees. But it all blurs in my mind. With every effort I use in pulling myself along, I can feel the daze of terror slowly intensify as I begin to realize that this isn't something I can escape from. My hands have not magically reverted back into human fingers, and the heat pressed against my face hasn't lessened. I come to a stop, wanting to cry but having no tear ducts to do so. Instead, I begin to wail like a child; my voice sounds gratingly shrill against the silence of the forest.

"Why does this kind of thing always have to happen to me?" I sob.

My body is shuddering. I try to piece together how I got here; there was a cave, and Jirachi, and I made a wish…

I freeze. I did make a wish; I can remember that clearly. A new life is what I wished for, and a new life I received. But this is all so wrong- so terribly, terribly wrong!

I resume my frantic crawling, fueled by a new panic. I'm not meant to remember anything- I'm supposed to become new, to begin a fresh start towards a better future where I wouldn't plunge everyone I knew into an inescapable misery. The memory- it still rests inside my mind, I can feel it. But it's not supposed to be there, it's supposed to be _dead!_

Why do I remember everything? I want to forget. I went through all those perils to forget, and yet why do the memories still remain? I can recall everything, and it's in such disgusting clarity that it makes my head ring.

So I've failed. Worse than failed, really- now I'm trapped in some alien body and sent to waste the remainder of my life away in some unknown forest. I come to an abrupt stop with my crawling and let numb realization wash over me.

I contemplate the possibility of simply staying there forever until I remember another detail. Jirachi had told me to solve my own issues prior to granting my wish; maybe this misfortune is only meant to test me? Perhaps this is a trial to prove my worthiness. At this point, I'm willing to grasp onto any shred of hope left. I attempt to get to my feet again, but again notice they're nonexistent. I try to will myself into floating this time- after all, there has to be some practical method to moving aside from crawling. To my surprise, I drift upwards. I look down and see a small distance separating my body from the ground.

Levitating proves a bit tricky for me; it's nothing like walking, and although I don't especially need to concentrate, it's strange to only need to think about floating in a certain direction to move. I turn myself about, testing to see how much minimal effort is needed to remain in the air. To make things easier, I decide to equate levitating to standing, which gives me some basis of familiarity to work with. Luckily, I prove to be a quick learner, and I'm able to confidently move myself about without fear of falling down again.

I make my way past the trees. There's nobody around, which is strange; most forests are bustling with life. Without any other goal in mind, I make finding someone around here my first objective. Second would be trying to find a pond or something to better see myself with. Worry still seems to dog my every action, despite my attempt to distract myself with set goals. If there really is no hope of ever forgetting, then there would be no need for me to keep trying.

I press onward not because I want to, but because there's no going back from here on out.

As I continue my hurried journey through the woods, it becomes more and more apparent that it's completely abandoned. I don't hear any sort of chatter, and there's not even a breeze to disturb the grass. Even with the sun glittering through the leaves, it's definitely an eerie place. My calls for help go unanswered. I'm beginning to wonder if I should make my new priority finding a way out of the forest, seeing as how there's nothing of use to me here.

Just as I'm wondering the best method to find a route out of this place, I hear a small sound. I immediately turn towards it, but the sound doesn't return. Before I brush it off as only my imagination, I hear the sound again. It's more recognizable now; there's a clear sorrowful tenor in its voice, almost like a whimper. I float towards the noise, eager to finally meet another soul.

I come across a clearing, where I see the source of the noise. It's a Buneary, sitting against the gnarled roots of a tree. Its ears are tightly rolled up against its head, and it's hiding its face in its paws. I rush over to it, thinking that maybe it's crying or in pain.

"No!" Its forceful voice surprises me into stopping. Although a slightly higher pitch, its voice is decidedly masculine.

"S-Sorry," I stammer out. "I just ended up here, and I haven't seen anyone else, so…"

The Buneary lifts his head and gives me a cold stare. I mistakenly try to take a step back, but this breaks my slight concentration and I unceremoniously fall onto the ground.

"Leave me alone," he warns, luckily seeming to ignore my little mishap.

I clumsily return to my levitating and give the Pokemon a better look. He's hidden his face again-probably the reason he didn't mention my embarrassing fall- but it's apparent that he's undergoing some type of trauma.

"Do you need help?" I ask as gently as I can.

His answer comes immediately. "No."

This Buneary is getting me nowhere. Leaving the forest seems more appealing at this point; I turn and begin drifting away. I'm just about to leave the clearing altogether when the Buneary pipes up once again.

"Wait! Wait, get back here!"

I pause, mid-flight, and turn around again. What a bothersome Buneary this little one is! Even so, I admit I'm still slightly relieved at being called back- the prospect of leaving him behind would only add to my list of worries. I obey and float back to him. He's looking back up at me, and I'm able to see how glazed over his icy blue eyes are. The sight is strikingly sad. I reach out one of my arms to him, but he only stares blankly at it.

"I don't need help getting up," he grumbles, getting to his feet to prove his point. "But if you could show me the way out of here, that'd be nice."

I find myself laughing awkwardly. "Well, uh, I'm actually just as lost as you are."

The Buneary narrows his eyes before giving the ground a frustrated kick. "Perfect! Just perfect," he says, exasperated. "I wake up in Arceus-knows-where and now I can't even get out."

I fall silent, not wanting to say anything that might rile him up even more. However, this in itself seems to upset him; he gives me a vicious glare, as if it's my fault he's in this predicament. In a feeble effort to offer my aid, I ask, "How did you get here in the first place? Maybe I can help you backtrack."

"Look, I don't know!" the Buneary shouts. I flinch at his harsh tone. "I don't know anything! I've already tried remembering, and I can't seem to do it."

He… can't remember? I blink in mild surprise at this great irony; if only I had been the one who forgot everything instead. The Buneary plunks himself back down and leans against the tree roots once more, crossing his arms in obvious indignation. I make no movement to console him this time. I fear he might possibly try to bite one of my limbs off.

"So we're both stuck here, then," he mumbles to himself.

I say nothing.

"Well?" he says, annoyed. He turns his head and faces me. "Don't you have anything to say?"

"Not… Not really," I reply hesitantly. "I don't have anything that could help you."

He scoffs and returns to averting his gaze. I look down in shame; I really am useless to everyone else, even in this new life of mine. "I guess I'll be going now," I mutter. If I'm no use to him, there's no need to stay and continue to annoy him. I begin floating off once more.

I'm surprised at my own exasperation when the Buneary calls me back. "Wait!" I turn and he blanches at my expression- my irritation must be visible. He hastily continues, "I'm sorry, alright? Don't leave me behind."

He hops up onto his feet and shuffles his paws. "I know we're both lost, but I'll go along with you. Okay?"

"Okay," I say with a nod. The Buneary seems to brighten at this; he doesn't smile, but there's a new vitality in his eyes. He marches over and follows me on my way out of the clearing- albeit still at some distance away from me. Overhead, the sun remains as radiant as ever, its light trailing behind us in dappled spots. There's still no draught whatsoever; an odd stillness permeates the atmosphere. Similarly, an uncomfortable silence ensues with the Buneary and me- after all, silence can only be awkward when there's another person there to make it so.

To break the tension, I attempt a conversation with my new companion. "So, um… what's your name?"

He groans. "I already told you, I don't remember anything. Why the heck would I remember my name?"

"Oh. Right," I mutter, embarrassed. I pause before continuing, "Well, my name is Kara. Maybe we can come up with a name for you in the meantime?"

The Buneary doesn't say anything, so I try to press the question further.

"What would you want to be named?" I ask. I try to put a positive spin on it by adding, "Hey, you can name yourself anything you'd like! This is a unique opportunity."

He only waves his paw absently at my shabby attempt to make naming sound exciting. "Yeah, yeah." He falls quiet again, which I decide to interpret as him being tired of me trying to talk to him; not a very chatty fellow, it seems. We continue in our trek through the forest in silence for quite some time. I can see the sun beginning to dip slightly lower in the sky, tinging the sky a faint orange. I've almost forgotten about the naming when the Buneary suddenly bursts out, "Emmet! That'll be my name." He turns and gives me this brash, boyish smirk, obviously pleased with himself.

I don't feel as though there's anything particularly special about his chosen name, but I give him a small smile in return anyway. "There you go," I say, hoping I don't sound condescending.

As we keep walking further and further, the passage of time becomes more evident from the sky turning a more intense rouge. I look up and observe this worriedly, noting how we haven't seen any other Pokemon all day. Also, the forest seems endless; even after walking all this time, there's been no sign of the trees becoming scarcer. I glance over at my partner, but he's remained quiet ever since naming himself. Despite that grin earlier, he must not be entirely at ease with me- not that I can blame him.

The sun finally dips completely beneath the horizon, and we're plunged into almost complete darkness. The moon offers some light, but I also seem to be generating my own. The area around me is illuminated in this gentle blue glow; it must be emanating from the same source as the heat near my face is. The color is a chilling reminder of my prior ordeal through Jirachi's cave. I shake off the memory- no use dwelling on it and only adding to my paranoia. I look down at Emmet, curious how he's faring, and am surprised to see him shaking.

"What's the matter?" I ask him.

He gives me another one of his annoyed looks. "It's getting cold. Duh."

Cold? Come to think of it, I haven't exactly been able to feel much of anything aside from the constant heat near my face. I reach out my arm to him. "Hey… maybe if you move closer to me, you'd feel warmer."

Emmet regards my arm with distaste. "No thanks." He doesn't move any closer to me. Curiously enough, he also doesn't continue to tremble.

I draw my arm away, wondering if he was only lying about the cold, and stop moving forward. Emmet walks ahead a few feet before realizing that his light source has failed to follow behind. He turns and puts his paws on his hips. "What is it now?"

"I think we should rest for the night," I say. "I mean… it's gotten dark already."

Emmet stares at me with his glassy eyes, probably doubting that resting is indeed a good idea. He then replies with a shrug and a noncommittal grunt. I'm about to urge him to make a more definite answer, but something else distracts me in the next instant.

The heat I'm creating has been foremost in my sensory distractions, but a chill suddenly cuts into my body. At this, I let out a startled yelp; the sensation of cold has already become uncomfortably foreign. I turn away from Emmet and scan the area behind me, thinking maybe someone had tapped me, or perhaps an unexpected gust of wind caught me off guard.

There is nobody behind me. And there is no cold draft, either.

My mind immediately scrambles into panic mode; most of my energy has already been spent attempting to keep together what remains of my sanity, and a mysterious unknown chill only piles onto my mountain of stress. The possibilities of what it could be swerve through my thoughts with nauseating rapidity- a hex placed upon me? Some sort of invisible attacker? Have I gone so mad that I'm imagining things?

This added issue breaks my concentration with my floating and I tumble downwards. The trees and the sky blur past my vision until my head meets with the ground with a dull _thud._ Emmet makes a noise that I'm only dimly aware of hearing, as it's barely registered in my mind- there's just been too much happening to me all at once since my awakening in this forest. I remain there, stunned, but fully aware that I must be an utter mess if all it takes is the cold to shatter my stability.

Emmet's still moving his mouth. I attempt to return to my airborne position, but numbness still has its hold on my body. However, in the next instant I hear his voice suddenly split through my vague focus.

"Kara!" he's shouting. "Kara, behind you!"

With some effort, I manage to roll onto my side. That single thought circles around my mind: _There is something behind me._ It continues on its constant spiral as I move my eyes to see exactly what Emmet's referring to.

At first, I can't tell exactly what I'm looking at. The trees behind me are still visible, but there seems to be a strange veil covering a portion of it; I can barely make out the outline of a gaseous purple figure. I try squinting, but it only limits my line of sight and causes the figure to waver into a vaguer shape. Having regained some of my composure- mostly due to my shock melting away into confusion- I return to my levitating. It's strange. Although I've stopped squinting, the unknown being still flutters between nonexistence and the material plain.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Who cares?" Emmet says in a voice that almost squeaks. "It's super creepy! Let's get out of here!"

I have to agree- there's nothing friendly about the figure, and it did give me quite the scare. And judging by how Emmet has drawn closer to me, he's frightened as well. I nod slowly, as if the slightest movement would anger the mysterious shadow. "Yeah… Yeah, let's just-"

A hoarse cackle cuts me off, as well as causes me to jump in fear. The figure shudders, much like one does when letting out a hearty laugh. It… thinks this is funny? Emmet grabs ahold of one of my arms in one swift maneuver. I have no time to react to that, however, as the figure draws closer to where my light reaches.


End file.
